Memory processing
- Reduce the emotional intensity of distressing traumatic memories
- Help the brain integrate traumatic experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming
Individual Therapy · Ontario
EMDR Therapy in Ontario
EMDR therapy is a structured, evidence-based approach used to treat PTSD and other trauma-related concerns. Through guided processing of difficult memories, EMDR helps the brain process past experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming or intrusive.
- Virtual & In-Person
- Across Ontario
- Now Accepting Clients
- Free intro call available
- 6–12 Sessions
- Often faster than talk therapy
The Approach
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was developed in the late 1980s as a therapy that uses guided eye movements to help reduce the emotional intensity of distressing memories. Over the decades, research, including numerous randomized controlled trials, has shown that EMDR is an effective, evidence-based treatment for PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and depression, and it is recommended by the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association. Studies indicate it can often reduce symptoms more quickly than traditional talk therapy. EMDR targets how traumatic memories are stored in the brain, helping to process and integrate them safely so they no longer trigger overwhelming emotions or flashbacks. It is used to support recovery from both single-incident and complex trauma.
At a Glance
Duration
6–12 sessions (single event); longer for complex trauma
Format
Structured, memory-focused
Delivery
Virtual across Ontario · In-person in Toronto
Approach
Bilateral stimulation + cognitive integration
Concerns We Treat
Conditions EMDR is used to treat at our clinic
EMDR is recommended by the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association. It is effective for both single-incident trauma and complex, repeated traumatic experiences.
Is This Right for You
Processing the past to free the present
EMDR is recommended by the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association as an effective, evidence-based treatment for PTSD. It targets how traumatic memories are stored in the brain, helping to process and integrate them safely, and can often accelerate progress compared to traditional talk therapies.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not require you to describe your trauma in detail or revisit it repeatedly. The bilateral stimulation process works with how the brain naturally stores and processes memory, allowing recovery to happen more directly and often more quickly.
Book a Free Intro CallYou may benefit if you:
- Experience PTSD, flashbacks, or intrusive memories from single or repeated trauma
- Struggle with anxiety, panic, or avoidance behaviours connected to past experiences
- Have depression or emotional dysregulation rooted in unresolved memories
- Have been affected by accidents, loss, medical trauma, abuse, or other difficult life events
- Want a structured approach that often works more quickly than traditional talk therapy
Core Techniques
What you'll work on
EMDR targets four interconnected areas, each building on the last to reduce the hold traumatic memories have on your present life.
Cognitive and emotional change
- Replace negative trauma-linked beliefs with healthier, adaptive perspectives
- Improve emotional regulation and reduce reactivity to triggers
Stabilization and resources
- Build grounding and inner coping skills to support the recovery process
- Develop positive mental resources that can be accessed between sessions
Confidence and future readiness
- Practice responding to future situations with greater stability and confidence
- Reduce avoidance and re-engage with daily life and relationships
What to Expect
What an EMDR session looks like
EMDR can sound unfamiliar. Here is what actually happens in a session. You remain fully in control throughout.
Preparation
Before any memory processing begins, your therapist teaches you grounding and stabilization skills so you feel safe and in control. You identify a target memory together and note the emotions, body sensations, and beliefs connected to it.
Activation
You bring the target memory into awareness alongside a connected negative belief and any body sensations. You rate the distress level. You do not need to describe the trauma in detail. Just hold it in mind.
Bilateral stimulation
In brief sets, you follow guided bilateral stimulation using eye movements, tapping, or audio tones while holding the memory. Between each set your therapist checks in. The memory's emotional charge gradually reduces across sets until distress reaches near zero.
Installation and closure
A positive belief is strengthened to replace the negative one. Your therapist guides a body scan to clear any residual tension, then ensures you leave feeling stable and grounded. Every session ends with closure.
Our Program
How treatment is structured
EMDR follows a phased approach. Stabilization and preparation always come before memory processing begins.
Phase I
Assessment and preparation
A careful assessment of your trauma history, symptoms, and readiness for EMDR. Clients learn grounding and emotional regulation skills to feel safe before trauma processing begins.
Phase II
Memory processing
Guided bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, helps the brain reprocess distressing memories and reduce their emotional intensity. Negative beliefs connected to the trauma are gradually replaced with more adaptive perspectives.
Phase III
Integration and future template
We reinforce cognitive and emotional gains and help clients practice responding to future situations with greater confidence and emotional stability.
Related Treatments
Looking for a different trauma-therapy approach?
We offer a range of evidence-based trauma therapies. The right fit depends on your history, presentation, and goals.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions about EMDR
For a single traumatic event, clients often see significant progress within 6 to 12 sessions. Complex or repeated trauma typically requires a longer course of treatment. It is worth knowing that EMDR does not begin with memory processing right away. Sessions start with preparation and stabilization, which builds the safety and capacity needed before any direct trauma work begins. Progress is reviewed regularly throughout.
No. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not require you to describe traumatic events in detail or to put everything into words. You hold the memory in mind internally while the bilateral stimulation guides processing. Many clients find this a significant relief, particularly those who have felt retraumatized by approaches that required repeated verbal retelling of what happened.
It depends on the method used. Eye movements involve following a moving light or your therapist's hand back and forth. Tapping involves rhythmic taps on your knees or hands. Audio tones alternate between ears through headphones. Most clients describe the experience as calm and more manageable than they expected. It can bring up emotions as memories process, and your therapist will guide you through that as it happens.
Most sessions are covered in full or in part by extended health benefit plans. We provide detailed receipts for all sessions to support reimbursement. Visit our Fees and Coverage page for full details.
Yes. We offer virtual EMDR across Ontario using secure video platforms and adapted bilateral stimulation methods including audio tones and self-tapping. Research supports virtual EMDR as comparably effective to in-person delivery. In-person sessions are also available in Toronto.
CPT focuses on identifying and restructuring trauma-linked beliefs through written exercises and structured dialogue. Prolonged Exposure uses repeated, deliberate revisiting of traumatic memories to reduce their emotional charge. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to process memories without requiring detailed verbal recounting or prolonged deliberate exposure. All three are evidence-based first-line treatments for PTSD, and all are effective. The best fit depends on your presentation, your history, and what approach feels right for you.
Have a question not listed here? Visit our full FAQ page or get in touch directly.
Take the First Step
Find out if EMDR therapy is a good fit for your trauma recovery plan.
Our clinicians will help you figure out whether EMDR is the right fit, and what that would look like for you.
Book an Intro CallVirtual & In-Person · Ontario
Getting Started
Starting therapy is simple and supportive.
- 1
Get in touch by booking a call online with our intake coordinator or by completing the contact form. You can also email admin@traumacarepsychology.ca or call (647) 456-7500.
- 2
Complete a 20-minute intake call so we can determine the best therapist fit and treatment direction. Alternatively, browse our clinician directory and book a free 20-minute consultation directly with a clinician you feel is a good fit.
Browse our clinician directory → - 3
Schedule your first session and begin a personalized treatment plan based on your goals and concerns.
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Contact Us
Fill out the form and our intake coordinator will be in contact shortly.
Virtual care across Ontario · In-person in Toronto.